the voice of the city-第25章

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and　arranging　his　green…and…purple　ascot　with　its

amethyst　tombstone　pin…eloquent　of　his　chosen

calling。



Since　the　strike　had　been　called　it　was　this　par…

ticular　striker's　habit　to　hie　himself　each　morning

to　the　corner　saloon　of　Flaherty　Brothers；　and　there

establish　himself　upon　the　sidewalk；　with　one　foot

resting　on　the　bootblack's　stand；　observing　the

panorama　of　the　street　until　the　pace　of　time　brought

twelve　o'clock　and　the　dinner　hour。　　And　Mr。

〃Tiger〃　McQuirk；　with　his　athletic　seventy　inches；

well　trained　in　sport　and　battle；　his　smooth；　pale；

solid；　amiable　face　　blue　where　the　razor　had　trav…

elled；　his　carefully　considered　clothes　and　air　of　capa…

bility；　was　himself　a　spectacle　not　displeasing　to　the

eye。



But　on　this　morning　Mr。　McQuirk　did　not　hasten

immediately　to　his　post　of　leisure　and　observation。

Something　unusual　that　he　could　not　quite　grasp　was

in　the　air。　　Something　disturbed　his　thoughts；　ruffled

his　senses；　made　him　at　once　languid；　irritable；　elated；

dissastisfied　and　sportive。　　He　was　no　diagnostician；

and　he　did　not　know　that　Lent　was　breaking　up

physiologically　in　his　system。



Mrs。　McQuirk　had　spoken　of　spring。　　Sceptically

Tiger　looked　about　him　for　signs。　Few　they

were。　　The　organ…grinders　were　at　work；　but　they

were　always　precocious　harbingers。　　It　was　near

enough　spring　for　them　to　go　penny…hunting　when　the

skating　ball　dropped　at　the　park。　　In　the　milliners'

windows　Easter　hats；　grave；　gay　and　jubilant；　blos…

somed。　　There　were　green　patches　among　the　side…

walk　debris　of　the　grocers。　　On　a　third…story　window…

sill　the　first　elbow　cushion　of　the　season　　old　gold

stripes　on　a　crimson　ground　　supported　the　kimo…

noed　arms　of　a　pensive　brunette。　　The　wind　blew

cold　from　the　East　River；　but　the　sparrows　were　fly…

ing　to　the　eaves　with　straws。　　A　second…hand　store；

combining　foresight　with　faith；　had　set　out　an　ice…

chest　and　baseball　goods。



And　then　〃Tiger's〃　eye；　discrediting　these　signs；

fell　upon　one　that　bore　a　bud　of　promise。　　From　a

bright；　new　lithograph　the　head　of　Capricornus　con…

fronted　him；　betokening　the　forward　and　heady　brew。



Mr。　McQuirk　entered　the　saloon　and　called　for　his

glass　of　bock。　　He　threw　his　nickel　on　the　bar；　raised

the　glass；　set　it　down　without　tasting　it　and　strolled

toward　the　door。



〃Wot's　the　matter；　Lord　Bolinbroke？〃　inquired

the　sarcastic　bartender；　want　a　chiny　vase　or　a

gold…lined　epergne　to　drink　it　out　of　　hey？〃



〃Say；〃　said　Mr。　McQuirk；　wheeling　and　shooting

out　a　horizontal　hand　and　a　forty…five…degree　chin；

〃you　know　your　place　only　when　it　comes　for　givin'

titles。　　I've　changed　me　mind　about　drinkin　　see？

You　got　your　money；　ain't　you？　　Wait　till　you　get

stung　before　you　get　the　droop　to　your　lip；　will

you？〃



Thus　Mr。　Quirk　added　mutability　of　desires　to　the

strange　humors　that　had　taken　possession　of　him。



Leaving　the　saloon；　he　walked　away　twenty　steps

and　leaned　in　the　open　doorway　of　Lutz；　the　barber。

He　and　Lutz　were　friends；　masking　their　sentiments

behind　abuse　and　bludgeons　of　repartee。



〃Irish　loafer；〃　roared　Lutz；　〃how　do　you　do？

So；　not　yet　haf　der　bolicemans　or　der　catcher　of

dogs　done　deir　duty！〃



〃Hello；　Dutch；〃　said　Mr。　McQuirk。　　〃Can't　get

your　mind　off　of　frankfurters；　can　you？〃



〃Bah！〃　exclaimed　the　German；　coming　and　lean…

ing　in　the　door。　　〃I　haf　a　soul　above　frankfurters

to…day。　　Dere　is　springtime　in　der　air。　　I　can　feel　it

coming　in　ofer　der　mud　of　der　streets　and　das　ice

in　der　river。　　Soon　will　dere　be　bienics　in　der　islands；

mit　kegs　of　beer　under　der　trees。〃



〃Say；〃　said　Mr。　McQuirk；　setting　his　bat　on　one

side；　〃is　everybody　kiddin'　me　about　gentle　Spring？

There　ain't　any　more　spring　in　the　air　than　there　is

in　a　horsehair　sofa　in　a　Second　Avenue　furnished

room。　　For　me　the　winter　underwear　yet　and　the

buckwheat　cakes。〃



〃You　haf　no　boetry；〃　said　Lutz。　　True；　it　is

yedt　cold；　und　in　der　city　we　haf　not　many　of　der

signs；　but　dere　are　dree　kinds　of　beoble　dot　should

always　feel　der'approach　of　spring　first　　dey　are

boets；　lovers　and　poor　vidows。〃



Mr。　McQuirk　went　on　his　way；　still　possessed　by

the　strange　perturbation　that　he　did　not　understand。

Something　was　lacking　to　his　comfort；　and　it　made

him　half　angry　because　be　did　not　know　what　it　was。

Two　blocks　away　he　came　upon　a　foe；　one　Conover；

whom　he　was　bound　in　honor　to　engage　in　combat。



Mr。　McQuirk　made　the　attack　with　the　charac…

teristic　suddenness　and　fierceness　that　had　gained　for

him　the　endearing　sobriquet　of　〃Tiger。〃　　The　de…

fence　of　Mr。　Conover　was　so　prompt　and　admirable

that　the　conflict　was　protracted　until　the　onlookers　un…

selfishly　gave　the　warning　cry　of　〃Cheese　it　　the

cop！〃　　The　principals　escaped　easily　by　running

through　the　nearest　open　doors　into　the　communi…

cating　backyards　at　the　rear　of　the　houses。



Mr。　McQuirk　emerged　into　another　street。　　He

stood　by　a　lamp…post　for　a　few　minutes　engaged　in

thought　and　then　he　turned　and　plunged　into　a　small

notion　and　news　shop。　　A　red…haired　young　woman；

eating　gum…drops；　came　and　looked　freezingly　at　him

across　the　ice…bound　steppes　of　the　counter。



〃Say；　lady；〃　he　said；　〃have　you　got　a　song　book

with　this　in　it。　　Let's　see　bow　it　leads　off　



　　　

　　　　〃When　the　springtime　comes　well　wander　in　the　dale；　love；



　　　　And　whisper　of　those　days　of　yore　　〃





〃I'm　having　a　friend；〃　explained　Mr。　McQuirk；

〃laid　up　with　a　broken　leg；　and　he　sent　me　after

it。　He's　a　devil　for　songs　and　poetry　when　he　can't

get　out　to　drink。〃



〃We　have　not；〃　replied　the　young　woman；　with　un…

concealed　contempt。　　〃But　there　is　a　new　song　out

that　begins　this　way：







　　〃'Let　us　sit　together　in　the　old　armchair；



　　　　And　while　the　firelight　flickers　we'll　be　comfortable　there。'〃





There　will　be　no　profit　in　following　Mr。　〃Tiger〃

McQuirk　through　his　further　vagaries　of　that　day

until　he　comes　to　stand　knocking　at　the　door　of　Annie

Maria　Doyle。　　The　goddess　Eastre；　it　seems；　had

guided　his　footsteps　aright　at　last。



〃Is　that　you　now；　Jimmy　McQuirk？〃　she　cried；

smiling　through　the　opened　door　（Annie　Maria　had

never　accepted　the　〃Tiger〃）。　　〃Well；　whatever！〃

〃Come　out　in　the　ball；〃　said　Mr。　McQuirk。　　〃I

want　to　ask　yer　opinion　of　the　weather　…　on　the

level。〃



〃Are　you　crazy；　sure？〃　said　Annie　Maria。



〃I　am；〃　said　the　〃Tiger。〃　　〃They've　been　telling

me　all　day　there　was　spring　in　the　air。　　Were　they

liars？　　Or　am　I？〃



〃Dear　me！〃　said　Annie　Maria　　　〃haven't　you　no…

ticed　it？　　I　can　almost　smell　the　violets。　　And　the

green　grass。　　Of　course；　there　ain't　any　yet　　it's

just　a　kind　of　feeling；　you　know。〃



〃That's　what　I'm　getting　at；〃　said　Mr。　McQuirk。

I've　had　it。　I　didn't　recognize　it　at　first。　I

thought　maybe　it　was　en…wee；　contracted　the　other

day　when　I　stepped　above　Fourteenth　Street。　　But

the　katzenjammer　I've　got　don't　spell　violets。　　It

spells　yer　own　name；　Annie　Maria；　and　it's　you　I

want。　　I　go　to　work　next　Monday；　and　I　make　four

dollars　a　day。　　Spiel　up；　old　girl　　do　we　make　a

team？〃



〃Jimmy；〃　sighed　Annie　Maria；　suddenly　disap…

pearing　in　his　overcoat；　〃don't　you　see　that　spring

is　all　over　the　world　right　this　minute？〃



But　you　yourself　remember　how　that　day　ended。

Beginning　with　so　fine　a　promise　of　vernal　things；

late　in　the　afternoon　the　air　chilled　and　an　inch　of

snow　fell　　even　so　late　in　March。　　On　Fifth　Ave…

nue　the　ladies　drew　their　winter　furs　close　about

them。　　Only　in　the　florists'　windows　could　be　per…

ceived　any　signs　of　the　morning　smile　of　the　coming

goddess　Eastre。



At　six　o'clock　Herr　Lutz　began　to　close　his　shop。

He　beard　a　well…known　shout：　〃Hello；　Dutch！〃



〃Tiger〃　McQuirk；　in　his　shirt…sleeves；　with　his

hat　on　the　back　of　his　bead；　stood　outside　in　the

whirling　snow；　puffing　at　a　black　cigar。



〃Donnerwetter！〃　shoute